Phantom Shots
by Ghostportals
Summary: A series of oneshots. Rating subject to change. 13: 13 New Messages: He won't stop messaging you, and you know you should answer, but you're bitter and angry and don't even want to think about listening to his attempts to get you to forgive him.
1. Jealousy

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in any of the one-shots posted in this story, unless otherwise stated. Danny Phantom is created by Butch Hartman, and I only own the writing here.

If there was one thing that was for certain, it was that Sam Manson and Danny Fenton were a great couple. Everybody knew it; at this point in time, even Sam and Danny knew it.

I didn't have a problem with it. Sure, Sam and Danny were my best friends. Sure, sometimes it was a _little awkward_ when they got all mushy on each other. I wasn't_ jealous_. I didn't feel that way about either of them. And I sure as hell didn't feel that way about Danny, of all people. Who would I even be jealous of? Sam? Pfft, as if. Besides, Danny was my best friend. My _very straight_ best friend.

My very _hot_, straight best friend. OK, so I might have liked Danny in that way. _Sue me_. It wasn't like I'd ever_ act_ on it.

"Uh, Tuck? Are you okay? You've been staring at me for a couple minutes now. It's kinda freaking me out." Danny said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"_Huh?_" I replied, intelligently. _Shit. Stay calm, Foley._ "Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Just... Thinking." _About your pretty face._ "So, did you beat the Box Ghost first period?" _Good job, Tucker. Get the topic_ off of_ you._ Danny shook the thermos in his hand, a faint 'beware!' coming from inside.

"Didn't even have to go ghost this time."

I snorted. "Heh. Not surprised, honestly."

Sam slid into her seat next to Danny, dropping her lunch tray onto the table. "This stuff is disgusting." She said, trying not to gag. She eyed her food warily, before poking it with her spoon. Did it just move?

"Yeah, that's why I pack my own lunch now," Danny said.

"Would you mind sharing?" Sam asked, hopefully.

"_Lovebirds_," I coughed, trying not to choke on my 'meatloaf,' of you can call it that.

Danny just grinned and kissed Sam's cheek. I ignored the slight pang in my heart.

Yep. _Not jealous at all._


	2. Final Exam

"-the_ Box Ghost_! Beware!"

I groaned. "Seriously? You _again_?" Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I narrow my eyes at the specter before me. "Why don't you just get into the _stinking thermos_ so I can get back to studying for my finals?"

"You underestimate me, ghost child! I will have my corrugated cardboard vengeance!" A blue beam from the thermos enveloped the ghost. "Beware!"

Sinking to the ground, I cap the thermos. Sam's voice rings out from the buds in my ear._ "Got him?"_

"Yeah. That's what, the fourth time tonight?"

_ "Third,"_ Tucker's voice rang in head. "_Think we're done tonight?_"

"I hope so. I've got a math final tomorrow and these_ ghosts_ keep _interrupting_ my _study time_."

_"Maybe you should just go to bed. I mean, it's not gonna help you at all if you cram for it. All the information will just go out the other ear,"_ Sam said.

_ "Hey! And, maybe if you're lucky there won't be any ghosts during the exam!"_

_ "And you jinxed it, Tuck."_

_ "Hey!"_

I sigh. "Okay, _whatever_, I'm just gonna go to bed."

_ "Night, man."_

* * *

"-for I am the _Box Ghost_-"

I moan into my pillow. "Please just let me sleep."

"-cardboard boxes-"

"I have an exam in two hours just go away..."

"-of _DOOM!"_

I moan again, dragging myself out of bed, and grabbing the thermos.

"Your cylindrical container-" A blue beam. "-cannot contain _the Box Ghost_!"

"It's _really tempting_ to just bury you."

* * *

If you take the time to look closely, you will see me _silently swearing at the paper in front of me._ I'm _pretty sure_ we never covered this in class. Or maybe I just missed the lessons because of_ the Box Ghost_. _'If a=5, and b=2, then according to Pythagorean Theorem, what is c?'_ _When did we learn this?_ Skip this question, I guess. _Wash, rinse, repeat._

Hey! Area of a circle! I know this!_ A=πd_, right?_ Right?_

Oh who am I kidding, I'm going to fail this class.

"Beware! For I am-" Oh I have never been more happy to see your fat blue butt.

Somewhere in between the student's fleeing the room and waiting outside for the attack to end, I manage to slip into a closet and go ghost.

_"Get in the thermos."_

"I am the Box Ghost! Your cylindrical container cannot contain me! _Beware!"_

Maybe if I'm lucky this exam will be postponed.


	3. Angry Fudge-Mutters

Danny was pretty sure that his dad needed to be banned from the kitchen.

He love fudge as much as the next guy, but he couldn't open the fridge without getting a blast of chocolate in the face. "This, _this_ is why Dad shouldn't be allowed in here. Why can't we just have food that doesn't bite back? Is that too much to ask?"

In response, the fudge slammed against the door, screaming obscenities. "_Vivre la révolution! Nous, le fudge, ne seront plus mangé!_"

"Dad! Please stop testing your inventions on the food! The fudge and the hotdogs have formed an alliance!" Danny shook his head, scowling. No response from Dad. Great, just great. Whatever, he needed to get ready for school. He didn't want to be late. Not that Lancer would _mind_ if he was late- he was going on Danny a whole lot easier now that his secret was out. "Mm, whatever."

Danny made his way back up to his bedroom, to get dressed and ready for school.

Only to be stopped by a girlish scream, and the sound of angry fudge-mutters. "_Vivre la révolution!_" Dang, he did not need to put up with this...

Two tiny ectoblasts later, and the fudge was back in it's prison. "Ask _Dad_ to take care of them."

He had classes to get to.

* * *

_"__Vivre la révolution! Nous, le fudge, ne seront plus mangé!" _**Live the revolution! We fudge will no longer be eaten!**


	4. Homeward Bound

Of all the things Danny expected to happen after he told his parents about his powers, to wind up on the streets was not one of them. It was almost laughable._ Almost._ He had thought it all out so carefully, planned it out, prepared in case something went wrong. But the one thing that had not crossed his mind? The thought that_ maybe_, the worst they would do would be to kick him out.

They had given him the chance to gather his things, of course. He'd dumped out his backpack and shoved as many clothes, food items, and overall the necessities. He'd saved up over $400 for a _fucking laptop_ of all things over the last couple months, and found himself stuffing it all into the pocket of his bag, for food and shelter.

He couldn't believe he hadn't considered that they might just kick him out. Oh sure, he could plan for _"We love you!"_ and _"We'll rip you apart, molecule by molecule!"_ but _not fucking this?_ Not fucking _"You have 30 minutes to gather your things and get out of the house!" _of all the damned scenarios? What a _fucking idiot he was..._

He couldn't go to Jazz. Jazz had her own issues and he didn't need to add his to them. She was a college student, and it was hard enough for her to keep herself fed. She didn't need a whiny 16 year old brother added into the mix. Sam and Tuck were... No. Sam's family hated him. There was no way he'd be able to stay with her. Tucker's family, again, didn't need another mouth to feed.

Vlad? _Hell no_. Just... no! No way he was going to the _Fruitloop_ for help. That would be the day hell froze over.

He would... He... _Could..._

Shit, he was so _screwed._ He was completely and utterly _fucked._

Maybe Dani had the right idea after all. And, honestly... It looked like it was the only real choice he had. He always had wanted to travel...

* * *

He hated traveling. Traveling was dumb and his feet hurt and he hate hate hated it. He was tired and hungry and lost and he hated it. And damn it all to hell, he should have gone to Sam or Tucker or hell even Vlad because he just wanted to curl up and die. It had been maybe three or four days. He was in some small town with a small population and an even smaller amount of buildings, but it was a small town and that was kind of expected with small towns.

And well, at least there wasn't many people around. He found himself in an alleyway behind some small restaurant he had dinner in _(the restaurant was named _The Red Ribbon_, the waitress was a petit, chubby lady who's name-tag said her name was _Olive_, and seemed to be hitting on him)._ As Danny curl up against the dumpster, he found himself wondering if his life was always going to be this way, now. He wouldn't mind, to be honest, if it weren't for the _walking_... And the _hunger... And the exhaustion..._

He found himself falling asleep.

* * *

He woke to something rummaging through his bag. At first, he hadn't really been aware of whoever it was, wanting to just sleep and pretend that his life didn't _really_ suck as badly as it did.

But then, he realized that_ somebody was going through his bag._ His bag, which had all his clothes and food and money. His bag, which, along with it's contents, was the only thing he truly owned anymore.

He jolted straight up, with a snarl. "Hey! Get out of that _you little br-"_

He stared at the girl before him, wide-eyed and dirty clothed, red beanie riddled with holes. _"Danny?"_

* * *

**OK, so after some though (meaning my friend bothered me until I gave in) I've decided that I might continue this later, possibly in a seperate story. SO, I dunno, keep an eye out I guess.**


	5. Average Day

Average Day

You sit on the bus. There's three kids your age in front of you- you recognize them from school, the scowling, black haired girl is in your math class, you recall idly. The scrawny black haired boy is that Fenton kid, and the boy next to him is somebody you can't really remember. Travis Farley? _Maybe._ You remember him using that stupid _"T.F. for Too Fine"_ line on you a couple weeks ago. You didn't particularly care.

T.F. is clearly checking you out. _Ew_. Man, you wish you're family didn't have to move here. You used to be able to just walk to school- now you have to take a 15 minute bus ride. Amity's nice, sure, but things are a little strange. Also, the Box Ghost stole your moving boxes before you could unpack.

The bus ride goes relatively smoothly, and you arrive at school, on time. Pity. Fenton and company are about halfway through the door before Fenton freezes. Somebody behind him snarls "Watch it!" before continuing through the door. Fenton, however, does something strange. He goes the wrong way- you know where his locker is, it's not too far from yours and you see Fenton get shoved in it every day. _Maybe he's just going to the bathroom,_ you think. Fenton goes nearly every period- you think he might have a bladder problem.

Whatever. None of your business. You go to your health class, which, _coincidentally_, happens to be the same way Fenton was going. You decide you'll skip going to the locker today. You just turn the corner when you see Fenton slip into the bathroom (you knew it!). Alright, you decide. That's enough snooping for today.

You continue walking down the hall, until you find yourself interrupted, by possibly the most annoying person ever.

"BEWARE! FOR I AM THE BOX GHOST!"

The specter floats before you- and boy, he's annoying. Plump, short, and very, very blue, with assorted boxes floating around him. You don't even get a second to blink before you find yourself burried in boxes.

You don't know how long you spend under the boxes, before you hear a "BEWARE!"

"Get in the stinking thermos!"

"You cannot trap me in your cylindrical container! For I am the BOX GHOST! Master of all things cardboard and square!"

Two minutes later, and after much yelling about boxes, you're free, and Invisobill leaves.

Just an average day in Amity Park.


	6. It's Not My Family

Danny couldn't fall asleep. Maybe it was the rickety _thunk, thunk, thunk,_ of the RV rolling over the stony roadway. Maybe it was the load, booming snores of his father on the cot inside. Maybe it was the gentle growling of Tucker and Sam arguing in the front.

Or maybe it was the schreeches of the undead monster tied to the back.

No, that couldn't be it.

"Danny?" He jerked, spinning to face the person who came to speak with him.

"Yeah... Yeah, Elle?"

"...This wasn't your fault. None of it was."

Danny sighed, plopping down on his bed, pulling the sheets around him. "I know..." He murmured softly, before patting the spot on the mattress next to him. "Sit."

Elle plopped herself down, rubbing her palm nervously. If there was something he loved about being up here with her, it was that they didn't have to speak. Being there was enough. "I never though I'd say this... But... I miss Vlad."

Danny raised an eyebrow, "He's still here."

"No, he isn't. That... thing... down there isn't Vlad." Danny looked to the stars.

"Dad seems pretty convinced that there's some way to cure him."

"Wish he'd just shoot it already. It's a loaded gun, practically just waiting to go off."

Danny shuffled slightly, frowning. "...Wish you'd stop calling him 'it.'"

She shrugged. "Sooner you stop calling it a 'him', the sooner you'll be ready to shoot it." Elle yawned. "Go to sleep- you can have a moral crisis in the morning, but for now, get some rest, okay?"

"Y-yeah... O-okay. Night."

"Don't let the bed zombies bite."

* * *

**_But you see,_**

**_it's not me,_**

**_it's not my family._**

* * *

Danny woke up to a loud banging. At first he thought, _why can't Sam and Tucker keep their arguing quiet? _But this was a diferent sort of noise, a sound that shook him to his core, that left him wanting to just make it stop, please _please_ make it stop. It was too familiar; it made him think of the time on the road where the Fenton family was normal (or, as normal as a family of ghost hunters could be) and not broken as it was now. It made him think of when his mom was with them, when he could exchange banter with Vlad and pretend, for a little bit, that the world wasn't quite so messed up.

It was the same banging that tore those times away from him. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

"Mmmrgh... Danny, tell S'ham and Tuck to go to s'hleep..." Elle turned over, pulling her blanket around her. "Is... too early... er, late... guess..." In a couple seconds, she was snoring.

"Uh."

She stirred, "Please... Dan-Dan...?"

_ "Don't call me that."_

_ "'Aight, _don't get your nipples in a twist, Sunshine..." She sat up, rubbing her eyes. _"Wazzuh time?"_

"Uh." Danny checked his watch. "_Four_. In the morning."

_"Fuck no!"_ Elle flopped back down onto her pillow, pulling it around her head. "Make them stop."

* * *

**_In your head,_**

**_in your head,_**

**_they are fighting._**

* * *

"...Uh. Don't think that's Sam an' Tuck, Danielle." Danny stood on shaking legs, stumbling over the the railing on the rood of the RV. Fuck. "Fuck. _Fuck."_ Where the hell was Vlad?

"What?"

"V-Vlad's... Vlad's gone."

They didn't move for a solid 5 seconds, but that was long enough.

In 5 seconds, Vlad broke into the RV.

In 15 seconds, they could hear Sam, Tucker, and Jack's screams.

In 25 seconds, Jack's screams fell silent.

In 40 seconds, they could hear the bang of a door slamming shut.

In 50 seconds, Sam quieted.

In 60 seconds Tucker burst through the door to the roof.

And it was just Danny, Elle, and Tucker left.

In one minute, the group was left even more broken than before.

* * *

**_With their tanks_**

**_and their bombs,_**

**_and their bombs,_**

**_and their guns._**

* * *

"I'm telling you! We should have fucking shot it while we had the chance! Now we got 3 fucking zombies to kill, and we're low on bullets as it is!"

"We get it Elle! It was stupid, we could have prevented it! But god damn it, Elle, there's nothing we can do about it now!"

"Somebody's gonna have to shoot 'em." Tucker grunted.

"Tucker! Don't say- you can't just- how can you just talk about them like that?" Danny spluttered.

"Those things aren't Sam, Vlad, and your dad Danny. Sooner you accept that, sooner you can get used to killing them."

"I-I can't just-they're-_Dad's..."_

"Just shoot 'em, man."

"This... This isn't some videogame Tuck! I can't just... Shoot a bullet through somebody's head and feel alright about it!"

"You don't have to feel alright about it," Elle muttered, loading the pistol. "It's gotta be done. And if you won't, I will." She leaned over the mattress, popping the door to the RV open and shuffling over. "Honestly, _you want something done right, gotta do it yourself..."_

"N-no! _Elle, don't!" _Too late. The shot rang out, loud and clear. Then another, and all Danny could hear was a ringing in his ears, before a choked sob tore through his throat. "O-oh god... Oh god..." Danny was vaguely aware of arms wrapping around him, and somebody whispering muted reassurances to him, but couldn't bring himself to care. "No, no, no no no_nono-"_

* * *

**_In your head,_**

**_in your head,_**

**_they are crying._**

* * *

"_Danny. It's okay. Those aren't your family anymore. They aren't your family."  
_


	7. Leave A Message

_"Hey, this is Danny, I can't get to the phone right now, but leave a message I guess."_

"Hey, Danny, can you call me back? I wanna know if you're free Friday, Sam and I were gonna watch a Dead Teacher marathon. Uh, call me back."

* * *

_ "Hey, this is Danny, I can't get to the phone right now, but leave a message I guess."_

"Okay, seriously, pick up, man. Or like, call us back. Sam or me."

* * *

_"Hey, this is Danny, I can't get to the phone right now, but leave a message I guess."_

"I... Just got a call from Jazz. Your parents are freaking out, they wanted you to go home straight after school. Did you forget? Call me."

* * *

_"Hey, this is Danny, I can't get to the phone right now, but leave a message I guess."_

"Danny... This isn't fucking funny anymore, pick up your phone!"

* * *

_"Hey, this is Danny, I can't get to the phone right now, but leave a message I guess."_

"Uh. It's Tucker, again. Did you leave your phone at home again? I bet you did, you ass... Uh, yeah, I'll call Jazz and ask... Uh, call me if you didn't..."

* * *

_"Hey, this is Danny, I can't get to the phone right now, but leave a message I guess."_

"Okay, so you didn't forget it."

* * *

_"Hey, this is Danny, I can't get to the phone right now, but leave a message I guess."_

"Danny, fucking _answer!"_

* * *

_ "Hey, this is Danny, I can't get to the phone right now, but leave a message I guess."_

"Pick up the phone! Pick up, you goddamn asshole!"

* * *

_"Hey, this is Danny, I can't get to the phone right now, but leave a message I guess."_

"I fucking hate you so much right now. You're worrying your whole family, Danny, just... Pick up the phone."

* * *

_"Hey, this is Danny, I can't get to the phone right now, but leave a message I guess."_

"Pick up!"

* * *

"Hello?"

_"Tu...er... dent... 'm scared... car swerved...'m hurt..."_

"...Shit... Uh, stay with me, man. Do you know where you are?"

_ "...Lake Eerie... camp... hurts, man... Tuck... 'm sorry."_

"Stay with me, okay?"

_ "I'm sorry."_

* * *

** "Danny? Come on, Danny, answer me! Danny, stay with me, okay? Just... Stay with me!"**


	8. Of Ghosts And Gauze

_**Or, In Which Danny Goes to Valerie For Medical Help For Once**_

There weren't many things Valerie had been expecting to do on a Sunday morning, but patching up her ex-boyfriend was not one of them.

Danny had just shown up to her apartment, with that sheepish grin, and had ever so politely asked if she had a first aid kit he could use. Danny had been pretty roughed up, with one arm pressed against his stomach, and a bloodied hand on the door frame. Valerie made a mental note to clean up the hand-shaped bloodstain in the morning.

But that didn't matter at the moment, because her ex-boyfriend was bleeding out.

"Ah- Uh, thanks, Val. Uh, I'll just... Uh... Fix myself up and be out of your hair..."

"I can do it if you want." Valerie immediately began asking him questions. "Who did this to you?"

"Uh, yeah, okay, thanks..." Danny coughed, "Uh. Ghost."

Valerie's hand tightened around the first aid kit. "Oh. You gonna tell me who?"

Danny shrugged. "Doesn't matter anyways, I've had worse." His eyes widened, and he clapped a bloodied hand to his mouth. Valerie assumed he hadn't meant to say that.

"What?" Valerie stared at him. "What do you mean you've had worse?" Oh god- had the ghosts gone after Danny before? His parents were ghost hunters, after all. Her ending their relationship hadn't protected him at all.

"I, uh..."

Would he have been safer in the end, if she'd stayed with him?

_"__Danny."_

"I've... been hunting. _Ghosts,_ I mean. Ghost hunting."

Oh. That wasn't what Valerie was expecting; she was thinking something along the lines of_ 'my parents job makes me a target for ghosts'_. "Huh. Never took you for the ghost-hunting type."

"Yeah, _well_, don't go telling anybody."

"Wouldn't dream of it." She popped open the kit. "Take off your shirt," she blurted suddenly.

_"What?"_ He twisted, wincing slightly. Valerie lifted the bandages. "Oh," He chuckled, nervously, _"right."_

Valerie smiled, and unwrapped the gauze. After Danny had taken off his shirt (before today Valerie never would have pictured wimpy Danny Fenton to have muscles, or those scars) she began disinfecting the wound. Most people would be in tears over it, so colour her surprised when Danny just flinched slightly. "Dang, Danny, this is pretty bad..."

"Think I'll need stitches?" He inquired.

"... No. It's more... No. You said you had worse?"

"Yeah." Okay. So he wasn't gonna elaborate on that. Valerie was okay with that, she_ guessed._

"You're pretty good at this..." Danny murmured. "You practice a lot or anything?"

"... You could say that..."

Danny shrugged, apparently giving up on questioning her. She was glad for that. "Thanks for, uh, patching me up, Val..."

"Well, it's not like I was just going to let you bleed out on my carpet, now was I?"

Danny snorted, mumbling something she couldn't hear.

* * *

In the end, Danny had wound up staying the night (at Valerie's insistence, though he refused to take the bed, instead taking the floor while saying he'd "slept on worse before." Danny never told her what worse was, in the end). In the morning, Valerie had woken to an empty bedroom, and wondered if Danny had gone home, only to walk into the kitchen to find him making breakfast.

"Hope you're hungry," he'd said, holding up a plate with a good 5 pancakes on it, "because I may have misjudged how much the recipe would make. Is your dd home, by any chance?"

"Uh." What.

"Hey, where do you keep the syrup? I mean, if you have any... Any kind would do, but maple would be preferred."

"Uh. There's corn syrup in the pantry."

"Oh, great!" Danny swung around with surprising grace for somebody who was bleeding out not even 8 hours ago. Valerie watched as he hopped over a chair and landed in front of the pantry.

"Top shelf."

"Mhm..." He pulled the door open, with a little grin, and practically jumped to to top of the pantry, murmuring about pancakes. "Nngh..! There we go!"

Valerie slid into a chair. "You're looking better."

"Feel better, too!" Danny chirruped, stretching his arms out. "You're pretty good at doing all that medical stuff."

She smiled slightly. "T-thanks, Danny."


	9. CLAUS·TRO·PHO·BI·A

**CLAUS·TRO·PHO·BI·A**

_(noun)_

_Claustrophobia:_

Extreme or irrational fear of confined places.

There weren't too many things that Danny was scared of. He could handle ghosts, Vlad (sometimes), or his parents talking about killing him. And he could deal with killing spiders _(except when Sam was around)_, or with his parents shooting at him. But there was one thing that he hated_, with a burning passion,_ that made his heart pound and made him feel sick to his stomach.

_"Sorry_ Danny! I'll get you-" A loud bang could be heard outside his prison, and suddenly he could feel himself falling. "Oh, _crap!"_ The walls around him jolted, and he could hear Tucker laughing, and Jazz muttering apologies. "Sorry, sorry,_ sorry-"_

"Will you _please_ just _get me out of here?"_ Danny hissed, trying to hide his fear with false anger.

"Right, sorry, uh, let me just- I..." There was a moment of silence. _"Oh no."_

"What?" Danny whimpered (it was a manly whimper, he assured himself), and he was sure that if he had a corporeal body he'd be shaking by now. When he didn't get a responce, he repeated himself. "What? Jazz, _what's wrong?"_

"Uh."

_"__Jazz, what is wrong with the thermos?" __Danny whispered._

"Uh, the ectoblast... Damaged it. The button's missing..."

"Oh... Okay..._ Okay,_ Tucker, do you think you can fix it?"

"Uh, maybe? I'll need the blueprints, though."

**CLAUS·TRO·PHO·BI·A**

There was a reason Danny never told anybody about his fear.

At first, it was because he didn't think it was important. Danny had told everyone that he didn't really remember the accident, and that was true for the most part. He didn't remember it exactly. He could recall snippets, memories of him going into the portal. He could remember his foot catching on a wire or a metal plate or something, and the feeling on being encased in a metal grave while electrolyzed ectoplasm danced across his skin.

He remembered dying. He just couldn't remember what happened afterwards. But he wasn't going to tell them that. He didn't need to burden his family with the knowledge that he was dead.

At least, he thought he was dead. _Was he? _He didn't really know.

**CLAUS·TRO·PHO·BI·A**

Danny tried to control his breathing, to push aside the thoughts of his accident, to push aside the thoughts of being trapped, and the walls around him closing in. He tried to ignore the oncoming headache, and the aching in his chest as he found it harder to breathe.

He wondered if he needed oxygen in his ghost form, and if he was running out of it at the moment.

And it was at that moment, that he realized he had to pee. "Tucker, can you please hurry it up or something?"

"How long can you wait, man?"

"Not long, I, uh, I really... Have to go."

"Oh. Oh! Uh, I'll try to get it done quick."

"T-thanks, man." Danny let out a shaky breath. "I owe you one." He really had to pee.

**CLAUS·TRO·PHO·BI·A**

When Danny got out of the thermos, he'd landed on top of somebody and practically clung to them like a lifeline.

"You okay, little brother?"

Danny jerked, face going beet red when he saw who he was clinging to. He released Jazz's shoulders, grinning slightly. "Y-yeah. Never been better."


	10. Danny's Adventures In Funeral Crashing

Danny had acquired a _few_ weird habits over the months he was ghost hunting. One of them happened to be very frowned upon, but he had a reason. Because, well, he'd see these people standing around a casket. Sometimes he'd feel _so responsible_, because if he'd just been there _just one minute sooner, _this person wouldn't be six feet underground. So, Danny would find himself floating invisibly over the service, and he'd be there to guide that one lonely ghost away from the grave and to the portal.

One of the ghosts was a girl in his math class. That funeral was particularly hard for him, because this was a girl he'd spoken with, had actually known. He'd wound up telling her about him being Danny Phantom, she would have found out in the ghost zone eventually. She was pretty shocked, to say the least.

Another one of the ghosts had been a little girl. She'd said she was his biggest fan, and had been awed to get to meet him. Danny didn't think she fully understood she'd died.

Danny didn't have the heart to tell her, in the end.

The funeral Danny was attending was different from the others. His family was there (he found himself wondering why the heck he hadn't been told about it), as well as Sam and Tucker, even Vlad, and some people from his classes. Dash, of all people, looked particularly upset, maybe guilty. Danny wondered what he'd done, if his bullying had gone too far. Had somebody killed themselves?

He was scared to look inside the casket.

Jazz had broken down halfway through the funeral, and had to leave. Danny wanted to go comfort her. He had a sneaking suspicion that he needed to look in the casket. He was scared to look inside the casket. It was an open casket funeral. All he had to do was float over all the heads, check out who had died, and take them to the portal. Simple. Easy.

Danny wondered how they'd died.

_(He found out later that they'd fallen to their death from an impossible height.)_

He'd wondered if he would have been able to save them.

_ (He probably could have, if he'd tried harder.)_

He'd wondered if he'd see himself inside that casket.

_ (He did.)_


	11. The Depths of Mahoney Manor: I

**The Depths of Mahoney Manor**

_**I**_

_ It wasn't the first time the Fentons went on a family hunting trip, but it was the first time it went as badly as it had. 10 year old Danny Fenton found out just why he should be afraid of the things that go bump in the night._

* * *

Danny winced at the sound of the gravel beneath the RV's tires, as his father quickly pulled the vehicle into their destination. The place wasn't very flashy. At some point in the past, it might have been; Danny could imagine the looping driveway, and the grand doors of the mansion. But now, the place was rundown and very empty. The yard was overgrown, the windows broken, and the door off it's hinges. Danny stared at the moon overhead, and then at his parents, who were unloading their van.

He wasn't so sure he'd like this trip, afterall. '_Mom better buy me icecream after this,'_ he thought. Danny watched his sister slide out of the van, looking bored. His dad was saying something about the EMP in his loud, booming voice. "Is this even legal?" Danny questioned.

"No," Jazz muttered, leaning on the side of the RV. She scowled, swatting at a bug that had gotten far too close. "But when do our parents ever _do_ legal?"

Danny wasn't quite sure what to say to that.

* * *

As a Fenton family hunt always started, they'd gathered in the front hall of the mansion, his mother passing Jazz a walkie-talkie and reminding them to "stay togther! And call us if you see or hear anything!" Jazz had made a noise at that, and Danny found himself agreeing with her. In his 10 years of exsistance, they'd never _really _encountered anything. There were times when some things were weird, there was no denying that. But Jazz was quick to dismiss them as tricks of the light, and particularly drafty rooms.

The front hall was large; there was a staircase in front of the door, which lead to the second floor, which was open above them. On the ground in the middle of the hall was a broken chandelier; it looked like it might have been beautiful at one point in time. The staircase was broken, with several holes in the stairs. Everything was coated in a thick layer of dust, which was to be expected. After all, they _were_ probably the first people to be here in years. To the left of the staircase, was a dark looking hallway, the door hanging wide open.

"Alright," Jazz said, frowning. "Where do you wanna go first? Upstairs or down the hallway?"

"Uh... Upstairs sounds good?" Danny didn't trust the look of the stairs, but if they stayed to the edges, he was sure they'd be fine. "Yeah. I don't really want to get lost in here, you know, _just in case..._ Just in case there are ghosts..."

Jazz snorted. "You _do _realize that those stories Mom and Dad tell you are just so that you won't go looking for things and trying to do dumb stuff, _right?_ There's_ no such thing as ghosts."_

_ "R-right.._. N-no such thing..."

"Anyway, since we both know you tuned out of mom's lecture- _don't look at me like that, we both know you did,"_ Danny snorted at that. "Mom said to stay out of the attic and the basement. Something about it being dangerous, ghosts, yaddah, yaddah,_ but _I do think it'd be for the best if we stayed away from them. _Don't look at me like that, Danny, I just don't like the idea of falling through the floor or the stairs._ Besides, this place _is _pretty big, and we didn't see any windows leading down into the basement. I _really_ doubt there's any light in the basement, and I don't want to put any trust in the floor of the attic."

Jazz started for the stairs, taking them two steps at a time. Danny found himself following her, taking care to stay near the sides.

"I still think this whole thing is dumb," Jazz said. Danny could hear the grin in her voice. "But they, Canada is nice. There's so many Tim Hortons, though... I swear, we passed, like, ten on our way here. How much coffee and doughnuts do you need? I mean, sure, they sell more than just coffee and doughnuts, I'm sure, but-"

Jazz froze. Danny could hear the wood groaning beneath her feet, and as soon as she'd started to move again, the wood splintered, and she fell. A startled gasp left her lips when she found herself falling, and she hit the stair in front of her with her head. It sounded painful, and Danny found himself running to catch up to her, the words _"Are you okay?"_ spewing forth from his mouth in a torrent of worry.

"I-I'm fine, I'm fine, just... Just help me up, okay?"

In the dim lighting, Danny could see blood on the wood.

* * *

When they'd finally gotten to the top of the staircase, Jazz had torn her sleeve to wipe the blood off. The cuts weren't deep, really, and stopped bleeding in a few minutes. It still hurt for her to walk, though, and she'd dropped her walkie-talkie down the stairs when she'd fallen. "I don't want to go back down the stairs for it," She'd muttered, scowling at the splintered wood. "We should have gone down the hallway. Want to look around for another staircase?"

Danny nodded. "Y-yeah."

They'd searched for a long time, too. They never found a safe looking way downstairs, and in the end, had almost given up before they found it. Jazz, in the end, had been the reason he'd agreed to it. "You're small enough to fit," she'd told him, pushing the door to the dumbwaiter up, "and if you go down, you can go get the walkie-talkie and tell Mom and dad that I need help, and we'll be out of here!" It had seemed simple enough, and Danny had climbed into the dumbwaiter while Jazz lowered him down. And then, just when he'd seen the door, and he had just about been ready to open it and crawl through, the box he was in had jolted and fell the rest of the way down.

"O-oh god! Danny, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

Danny moaned. "Y-yeah? I think... My shoulder really hurts, though..."

"Where are you?" She'd called down, and Danny pushed himself to his feet.

"I don't know," Danny replied, looking around. "The basement, maybe? It's... _really_ dark down here..." Danny shook slightly. "And cold. It's freezing! Ugh, and _what is that smell?_ Jazz, it smells like _dog farts_ down here!"

_"That's great,_ Danny. Try to find some stairs or something,_ alright?_ I'm not going to be able to pull you back up, it looks like the rope snapped or something."

* * *

Danny felt around himself, trying to see where he was. There was a little bit of light coming from the shaft he fell down, but no enough to see by. To his left, he could feel a wall (or, what he assumed was a wall) and in front of him was empty space. He could feel another wall behind himself, and the door to the dumbwaiter on the wall to his left. By the light of the shaft, he could see the dim outline of what appeared to be a table.

Danny shivered, pulling his arms around himself. His hairs stood on end, and he felt a chill crawl up his spine. He could almost feel eyes on him. He wanted to run, to be far, far away from this house. Suddenly, there was a small thud to his right. Danny jerked, staring off to the side in horror.

In the darkness, something fell.


	12. (Ab)Normality

**(Ab)Normality**

The day Danny Fenton died was as normal as any other. The sky was cloudy, the temperature a little colder than comfortable, and the Fentons were the town crackpots. Jazz Fenton was still a brilliant girl who outshone her peers, and Danny Fenton was still a slightly less than brilliant boy who _probably _could have done better if he applied himself more, and that was normal and nobody ever thought to question that.

Danny Fenton would go downstairs, eat some cereal, and be out the door before his parents could show him one of their non-functioning inventions at the table. He'd walk out the door, and meet up with his two best and only friends, and go to school like every other day. He'd be shoved into his locker, and earn himself a new bruise which he was sure that would last for at least a week, and go to class to deal with Dash Baxter kicking his chair every chance he'd get. He'd go home, to find his parents going on about their newest invention, and wind up going down into the lab with his two friends, and watch said invention not work, as did every other machine in that lab.

Danny Fenton would walk into that lab, alive and well, and go from a normal kid, with a normal life and a slightly less normal family to be less normal, with a less normal life, and and equally abnormal family, less alive and well, and everyone other person would see that day as as normal as any other and nobody ever thought to question that.


	13. 13 New Messages

_**13 New Messages**_

* * *

_Sorry, not sorry._

* * *

He won't stop messaging you, and you know you should answer, but you're bitter and angry and don't even want to think about listening to his attempts to get you to forgive him. In hindsight, you'd realize that it was a stupid thing to be upset at, but at the moment you're pissed off and will stay that way until Tucker can get one of you to listen to each other. Tucker's a good friend like that, even if he'll try to make you two kiss later.

The phone buzzes. _**5 new messages,**_ it don't bother to check them, instead opting to flip it over and ignore him. It buzzes again, a short _Bip-Bip-Bip_ that could mean Danny or could mean that your apps crashed, because it's a shitty Samsung and you won't get a new phone, just to piss Tucker off. You're great like that.

And fuck Danny, with his shitty attitude and his shitty opinion that you're bossy and demanding and a hypocrite. He thinks that you're being a jerk because you want people to treat the world better. You think he's being a dick because, really, how dare he try to say that you're being just like the others with your view on the world. "It's not that simple," he said, and you _know that,_ _Danny, Jesus Christ pull that stick out of your ass,_ "the world isn't all black and white. You're not special because you don't like the popular kids, and damn it, Sam, you need to drop that 'Holier than thou' attitude."

_Bip-Bip-Bip._ _**7 new messages.**_ The newest one just says _**"please answe me sam."**_

Yeah, well, Danny can go fuck himself.

* * *

You can remember the last words you had said to him.

_"Fuck you, Danny. Just go fuck yourself. If you don't like the way I act so much, then clearly it would be better if we just stayed away from each other. Don't bother trying to talk to me tomorrow."_

You'd fallen asleep sometime after your phone started to say _**10 new messages.**_

You woke up to Jazz's ringtone.

"Mrgh. Wazzuh?"

"Did Danny stay over at your place last night?"

"Nuh-uh. Ask Tuck."

"He's grounded. No friends over, no electronics. Danny never came home last night... I'm really worried, Sam..."

"... I'll call 'im..." You mumble. You're half asleep. All you can think is Danny's an asshole for getting Jazz so worried.

"Thanks, Sam."

You hang up, rolling over with a groan. Fuck. You squint at the screen._**13 new messages.**_

Ugh.

Too early for Danny's bullshit.

As you open the messages, you scowl, expecting the usual "I'm sorry," and "Please forgive me."

You wish it was that instead.

* * *

_** "valerie got new weapons. im hurt, can you help me?"**_

_** "im sorry about today, an you please answer"**_

_** "sam please"**_

_** "please help me"**_

_** "sam im sorry please just pick up your phone"**_

_** "it hurts so much"**_

_** "please answe me sam"**_

_** "i can tfeel my lesg ple ase pick up th eophne"**_

_** "plese"**_

_** "sm"**_

_** "im sorry"**_

_** "s orr"**_

_** "it hurts so mcj"**_


End file.
